The conference began on December 3 in Dubai and is hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a U.N. organization. The conference is experiencing tension from the outset between those who support Internet freedom and those who believe that the ITU should be the Internet’s global governing body.

The event, which hosts 193 countries, marks “the first time [the ITU] has overseen a major overhaul of telecommunication regulations since 1988.” The 12-day conference and its nearly 1,500 delegates—including representatives from national governments, industry experts, and civil society advocates—is virtually split into two groups.

One group is comprised of those who want to see the private California-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) limited in its global powers. (ICANN’s main function is to issue domain names.) Countries of this mindset are expected to advocate for ITU to take over global Internet governance.

The opposing group—which includes the U.S., the European Union, Canada, and firms such as Google—oppose the new proposed ITU Internet regulation, saying it would inevitably threaten an open and globally connected Internet. Terry Kramer, head of the U.S.delegation to the conference, has said that the proposals that the ITU should enter the Internet governance business “fundamentally violate everything we believe in terms of democracy and opportunities for individuals, and we’re going to vigorously oppose any proposals of that nature.”

The U.S. and EU are up against proposals such as that submitted by Russia, which argues that member states should have “equal rights to manage the Internet”—a devastating move toward more censorship if accepted. The Internet has become a powerful tool for individual expression in open and even closed societies. That advance should be protected.

Helle C. Dale is the Heritage Foundation's senior fellow in public diplomacy. Her work focuses on the U.S. government’s institutions and programs for strategic outreach to the public of foreign countries, as well as more traditional diplomacy. Read her research.

Join The Discussion

it's ridiculous to suggest member states should have “equal rights to manage the Internet??!!" Underhanded when we're not equally inclined to it's purpose. What's the purpose for the global governing that isn't threats to protect governing deviance?

Get the un off the world's back. They're not trustworthy and fulfill no productive or protective purpose in favor of people's freedom and liberty. They also use people offended by freedom to legislate laws of offense!

The U.N. and all affiliates are untrustworthy by their own doing, now a conflict of interest and people can toughen up to get over their petty offenses easily tolerated and/or ignored. Human endurance grows when those offended rise above like people do for themselves to appreciate respect for each other and freedom!
Human weakness grows when government wants to govern it!!!!!

All of these governments can pass whatever they want to, they still will not control something they clearly have no understanding of. You aren't going to put a 5 year old in charge of all 747s in an airport. Therefore you aren't going to have clueless old fogey power mongers have control of the internet.

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